A superbly preserved 2,300-year-old mummy
bearing a golden mask and covered in brilliantly colored images of gods and
goddesses was unveiled Tuesday at Egypt's Saqqara Pyramids
complex south of Cairo.

The unidentified mummy, from the 30th pharaonic dynasty, was enclosed in a wooden sarcophagus and
buried in sand at the bottom of a 20-foot shaft when it was discovered recently
by an Egyptian-led archaeological team.

"We have revealed what may be the most
beautiful mummy ever found in Egypt,"
ZahiHawass, chief of Egypt's Supreme
Council of Antiquities, said as he helped excavators remove the sarcophagus lid
to show off the find.

Hawass said experts will use
CT scanning technology within the next week to reveal more details about the
ancient Egyptian's identity and how he had lived and died.

Afterward, the mummy will be displayed at Saqqara'smuseum
of Imhotep,
the famed architect who designed the Stepped Pyramid — Egypt's oldest.

The mummy, found two months ago, was covered
from head to toe in burial cloth painted in bright colors that depicted a range
of graphic scenes, including the goddess Maat of
balance and truth shown with outstretched arms in the shape of feathered wings.

Also shown were the four children of the
falcon-headed god Horus and the rituals and processes
to mummify the person, who Hawass believes must have
been wealthy considering his burial location and the fine gold used for the
mummy's mask.

"The artists who made this mummy more than
2,000 years ago demonstrated the brilliance of the ancient Egyptians by using
stunning colors and depicting his face so graphically," Hawass said.

The mummy was buried within the necropolis of
King Teti, a funerary area containing dozens of
burial chambers, false doors that ancient Egyptians said the souls of the dead
would use to leave their tombs, and temples.

The necropolis lies alongside the collapsed
pyramid of Teti, who ruled during ancient Egypt's 6th
dynasty, more than 4,300 years ago.

Hawass also said a previously
unknown pyramid had been located in the Saqqara area and would be uncovered after two
months.

Saqqara, about 12 miles south
of Cairo, is one of Egypt's most popular tourist sites and hosts a collection
of temples, tombs and funerary complexes.